Fresh US waiver to Pakistan for arms sale
The US has issued a waiver for sale of major defence equipment to Pakistan.
WASHINGTON (Agencies) - For the second time in six months, the US has issued a waiver for sale of major defence equipment to Pakistan likely to be worth $2 billion, citing national security interests.
The waiver issued by the then deputy secretary of states Thomas Nides on February 15 would pave the way for some major defence equipment sales to Pakistan.
“The department issued the waiver because we have determined that security assistance is important to the national security interests of the United States and is a critical component of US efforts to continue to build a strong, mutually beneficial relationship with Pakistan grounded in concrete action on areas of shared interest,” a State Department spokesman said.
The waiver, issued within a fortnight of Secretary of State John Kerry taking the reins US diplomacy on February 1, allows for the execution of America’s Foreign Military Financing (FMF) programme, and for the sale or export of certain Major Defence Equipment (MDE).
